Broad bean advice needed please

[veggiechicken]

Are they getting enough light SL? They look a bit leggy! Try some in a large pot that you could bring indoors when its cold. Worth a gamble

[alex-adam]

It looks like my fears were unfounded - all the sprouting beans have gone a wonderful green colour as you can see from the picture.

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The runner beans are storming away and are nearly a foot high already.

I am going to have loads of trouble keeping them somewhere safe until it gets warm enought to plant them out. I may just have to write them off as a stupid mistake and re-sow another batch in a couple of months or so.

On the other hand we may have another scorching March like we have for the last two years so I might just get lucky.

To be frank, I would consign the runners to the compost heap and start a new lot off end April / early May for planting out in June. - Sad, but I'm afraid those you have will come to nothing.

a-a

[Feral007]

I've got a scorching hot summer for you SL - in fact my broad beans (aquaducle) burned to a crisp.
Not much help to you tho.

[Jamesy_uk]

Don't sweat the early runner beans I did that 3 years ago I think and they were lovely and big but by end of march they were 4 ft tall and with nowhere to put them I had commit them to the bin ;(

[Samurailord]

I think that yoiu are all right, and these will end up on the compost heap, but I am one of those people who, when faced with everyone telling me I can't do something, will refuse to accept it until I have tried and failed.

In the meantime as I have plenty of spare space in my beds they will be going into the ground to see how they fare.

If they die - not a problem as I will be following them with more in a couple of months, and they can at least put a bit of nitrogen into the ground (if they last long enough)

If they don't - I will have runner beans two months before everyone else, and be able to thumb my nose at the generally accepted wisdom.

Andy

[WendyC]

Never tried it but I wonder if runners would respond to pinching out the growing tips, as you do for sweet peas, and throw out side shoots? Then you could control the size of them for a while longer.

[Two_Sheds]

Never tried it but I wonder if runners would respond to pinching out the growing tips

Yes they do, and it's what most people do when they "stop" them at the top of their supports/canes

[Two_Sheds]

we may have another scorching March

if we do, it'll be followed by a cold April. We have NEVER had our summer begin in March We get warm weeks, then cold weeks, on and off for months.
You're also not taking into account the night temps: even if the days are hot, spring nights are cold, and runners need at least 10c, day and night

I think that yoiu are all right

I understand the desire to "find out for yourself", but we don't give out advice because we're smart asses, or because we think we know it all ... we do it so that others don't have to make the same mistakes we have.